THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS

Dear Saint John’s School Families,

As we close school today to celebrate the beautiful holiday of Thanksgiving, I want to take time to thank each of you for the blessing you are to Saint John’s School.  There is no way to adequately communicate my sincere appreciation for sharing your children with us.  We truly have so many, many reasons to thank the Lord for the blessings bestowed upon us as a school.   

The latest “good news” I wish to share with you is the honor that our 5^th/6^th Robotics Team received, Saturday. They, too, brought home a trophy from the  Preston Middle School competition for 2^nd overall in the Project Research Category, Research and Innovation.  They were one of the 6 highest scoring teams across all categories.  This allows them to advance to the State Tournament which will be held on Saturday, December 14.  How excited the team was , along with Coaches Crane, Rottinghaus and Miller. 

Enjoy your break and have a BLESSED THANKSGIVING.

Shalom,

Mrs. Schmitt

SAINT JOHNS COMPETES IN LEGO ROBOTIC TOURNAMENTS

  SAINT JOHNS COMPETES IN LEGO ROBOTIC TOURNAMENTS

Dear Saint John’s Families,

Competition---“A contest between rivals”.    Like any card or board game, competition can be a great motivator to learn to do one’s best.  It gives our students opportunities to give their experience the best effort they have to give.  So much is learned from competition, i.e. team work, determination, and most of all, “How to win, and how to lose.”

Among the many extracurricular offerings and opportunities to learn and compete here at school is that of our LEGO ROBOTICS.  This year we have two teams competing.  One team for 5/6^th grades and another for 7^th/8^th grades.  We are so grateful to Barrett Crane, Mike Rottinghaus and Michelle Miller who lead these teams.  The teams meet after school Friday afternoons.

Last Saturday Saint John’s 7^th and 8^th grade Robotics Team competed at Poudre High School in Fort Collins against 47 schools.  They received an Exemplary Score in the areas of GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM, TEAMWORK, INSPIRATION, PRESENTATION, INNOVATIVE SOLUTION and MECHANICAL DESIGN of their robot.  Cheers were heard when our team was called down from the bleachers to receive the TROPHY for STRATEGY AND INNOVATION.  Judges were impressed with their implementation of rack and pinion steering on a Lego robot, coupled with a steering calibration algorithm program the team downloaded into the robot, stating that it was very innovative and very well documented design. 

Saint John’s Lego Robotic Record: 

2011/2012 1^st Place overall—Poudre Tournament                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

2009/2010 1^st Place Teamwork—Poudre Tournament                                             

          1^st Place Teamwork-State of Colorado

2008/2009 4^TH Thompson Tournament

2004/2005 8th in the State of Colorado

Rookie team of the year

1^st in technical interview (State)

Tomorrow, Saturday, at Preston Middle School in Fort Collins our 5^th and 6^th graders will have their tournament.  Presently, this team and their coaches are working hard and long in preparation for tomorrow’s long day of competition.  Please join me in cheering them on.

Shalom,

Mrs. Schmitt

A+ FIRST TRIMESTER ENDS

      

Dear Saints John’s School Families,

It is hard to believe that today, Friday, November 8^th, is the end of our first trimester of this school year.  You can guess that the teachers will be spending their weekend working on assessments/grades which are due to Mrs. Sweeney on Monday.      Report cards and grades i.e. academic achievement is a high priority here at Saint Johns.  Since parents receive snapshots each Wednesday and since we recently held student, parent, teacher conferences, hopefully, there will be few surprises when your child(ren) brings home her/his report card next Friday.  Close communication between parents and teachers as to how a student is progressing is of great         importance.  Whether B’s, A’s or C’s, it isn’t a matter of how your child compares to others, is he/she working up to his/her potential?  Is there growth and             advancement?  Striving for excellence in everything we do must be our motto.

That being said, our highly respected Archdiocese of Denver Superintendent of  Catholic Schools, Mr. Richard Thompson, reminds us at our principals’ meetings, of our highest priority  that being our Catholic Identity and leading children to Christ.  The focus this year is CATHOLIC SCHOOLS:  HELPING TO          REBUILD CATHOLIC CULTURE. 

We must be committed to living out our Saint John the Evangelist Catholic School Mission Statement: 

In communion with our families, Saint John the Evangelist Catholic School provides a respectful Catholic environment  dedicated to developing the whole child through academic achievement, personal responsibility, and the          formation of faith-filled citizens in a place where Christ is ever present.

Shalom,

Mrs. Schmitt